Archive for July, 2011

The second installment of Monocle Mediterraneo, the Media brands large-format summer newspaper, is set to hit newsstands on July 28th. With a report from Pitti Uomo, as well as the usual briefings on food, culture, retail and design, Mediterraneo is sure to please the cultural senses.

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again…content based marketing is the most effective (for me anyway). Sam Shipley and Jeff Halmos, the gentleman behind the clothing label Shipley & Halmos (previously of Trovata) were recently featured in a video as part of the “Me Series” to promote the Windows Phone. The video takes you through the pairs creative process and behind the scenes at their NYC studio. Enjoy.

I can’t tell you how much time I’ve wasted at the store staring at different grooming products (I do the same with beer, but that’s a topic for another time). Part of my indecisiveness stems from my natural curiosity and interest in the subject…the other part is due to the fact that there’s way too much crap out there to sift through. The men’s grooming business has become very saturated. So many new brands have popped up over the years, and those that already existed as women’s or generic products now have lines specifically targeted at guys.

The Motley takes care of the work for you by curating a selection of the best grooming products available. Every product they carry is thoroughly tested. Recently, they were kind enough to let me test out one of their newest installments, Raw Materials. The shave cream and Skin Grit work wonders together.

In additional to their growing stable of brands, The Motley has also been beefing up their site with editorial content, videos and advice. Think of it as the Mr. Porter of grooming.

Apparently I’m about a year late to the party, but I tried Kelvin Natural Slush Co. yesterday for the first time, and really enjoyed it. Founded by laid-off lawyer, Alex Rein, Kelvin (named after the Kelvin temperature scale) is a more adult, more natural, more delicious version of a 7-11 Slurpee that does business from their New York City based truck. I was very pleased with my citrus and mixed berry slush, but I was even more impressed with the clean brand identity created by Aaron Harowitz.

I bought my first Herschel bag this past weekend, and I’m very pleased so far. I’ve been toying with the idea of wearing a backpack (on occasion) for a while now, and I finally made the purchase. The secret to pulling off a backpack, in my opinion, is simplicity. If there are too many bells and whistles you’ll either look like a tech geek or a backwoods camper. Herschel does a very nice job making simple, stylish bags fit for the city of the rough terrain. Personally I’m a big fan of the Settlement Backpack and the Ravine Duffle.

July 2nd marked the 50th anniversary of Earnest Hemingway’s death. A reader of the site recently sent me a poster she designed entitled “Live the Hemingway“. The poster handsomely documents his life and encourages all of us to live the Hemingway by listing several rules inspired by his life (click on image to enlarge). Hemingway truly was the most interesting man in the world.

This video has been making the rounds since earlier this year. Corning Glass, the world leader in specialty glass and ceramics, produced a short video displaying their view on life in the near future. The video seems very accurate since we already have much of this technology in use, it’s just a matter of time before it’s incorporated into all aspects of our lives.

It’s getting easier to find clothing made right here on American soil. While it’s not exactly the 1950s, you can still grill out this July 4th in a Hamilton Oxford shirt, take a dip in some Steven Alan swim trunks and catch a few rays with a pair of Randolph Engineering aviators.